


Transient

by TooLateToFall



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Andromeda
Genre: Character Study, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Pre andromeda, Prologue, Relationship Study, Ryder Family - Freeform, Second person POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-17 08:52:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10590597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooLateToFall/pseuds/TooLateToFall
Summary: A study of the relationship between Alec Ryder and the twins.





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is spoiler free! It takes place pre-Andromeda (roughly spanning 2158-2166). 
> 
> Special thanks to Astermix for beta-ing and talking me through this!  
> Hope you enjoy!

You know it before she says a word. You read it in the slump of her shoulders, the shadows beneath her eyes, the quiver in her hands. _Negative_.  
  
She breaks with a cough and a choke, tears streaming down her cheeks. You pull her tight to your chest, desperately wishing there was some way to shield her from this. Oh-so-gently, you pry the offending item from her fingertips, set it aside. A glance confirms what you already know: one line. Not pregnant. You squeeze her tighter.  
  
You can feel her tears against your neck as she trembles, shaking apart in your arms, and it kills you. You're not used to problems you can't solve.  
  
"We'll keep trying, Ellen," you whisper, voice low and soothing.

Maybe it was too much to hope that it would happen right away. Nothing's ever that easy, but you're still young; you have all the time in the world.  
  
"We're just getting started."

 

* * *

 

 

 _Twins._ You can scarcely believe it, even as the doctor swivels the monitor towards you. Sure enough, there are two. This early, they’re more blob than baby, but seeing them like this... its _real_.

Suddenly nine months doesn’t seem like such a long time.

 _We’ll have to get a bigger apartment_ , you think. And you’ll have to take a longer leave than you expected once they’re born; Ellen can’t handle two babies alone. _Maybe it's time for a career change_. You’ll need to start college funds, too. Damn.... twins will be expensive.  Double everything. Twins are more likely to have health problems too... birth defects... premature birth...

You’re drowning in the details.

Ellen squeezes your hand, breaking you from your thoughts. Her eyes are still on the monitor; you’ve never seen her smile so big. “Twins.” Her voice is soft, awe struck, blissful. There’s a hint of a laugh, as though she can’t quite believe it. She breaks her gaze away from the monitor to look at you, eyes bright. “Alec, we’re having _twins_.”

The knot rising in your stomach seems to melt away. You squeeze her hand back, look again at the monitor, at those two baby-blobs. You think you can make out the start of little hands, little feet.  

You’re having twins.

Its perfect. _They’re_ perfect.

 

* * *

 

They arrive over a month early. Not uncommon for twins, you keep reminding yourself, even as something dangerously close to fear pools in your gut. You haven’t felt this nervous since Shanxi.

Ellen almost breaks your hand with her grip, but you don’t let go, not for a second. She’s in labor for six grueling hours before the twins finally make their appearance. Your daughter comes into the world first, face red as she begins to cry; _Sara Elizabeth Ryder_ . Her brother joins a mere minute later, takes his first shuddering breath before he bursts into tears as well; _Scott Reilly Ryder_.

Their cries fill the hospital room, so loud for two so impossibly small.

You watch, stomach twisting, as the doctors perform all the standard tests. “They certainly sound healthy,” Ellen jokes, grinning up at you despite her obvious exhaustion. She can tell you’re nervous.

It seems like an eternity before the doctor declares them healthy and passes the twins to Ellen, placing one in the crook of each arm. You scoot closer, trying to memorize everything about this moment. They’re so little, so perfect. They have your nose and their mother’s impossibly blue eyes.

You notice a tear slip down Ellen’s cheek, and you wrap an arm around her shoulder, squeezing, steadying.

Scott and Sara, Sara and Scott.

_Welcome to the world._

 

* * *

 

The first thing you notice about the apartment is that it’s quiet, quieter than it’s been in weeks. “Ellen?” No response. You wonder for a moment if she went for a walk, but her keys are still on the counter. “Ellen?”

Not in the kitchen, not in the living room, not in the bathroom, not in the nursery.

You finally find her in your room, fast asleep, the twins lying between her and a wall of pillows. As you approach, Scott smiles up at you and Sara starts to coo, little arms flailing. Ellen mumbles something in her sleep, then sighs.

“You two must have worn her out.” Neither of you has been getting much sleep lately. You press a kiss to each of the twins’ foreheads before scooping them up, one in each arm. “Let’s let your mom sleep, huh?”  You carry them out, sink into the rocking chair in the nursery, settle them in your arms. If you concentrate, you can almost feel their little hearts beat against your chest. Their breathing slows as you rock back and forth, back and forth.

It’s your favorite part of the day, these quiet moments with your kids.

 

* * *

 

"Daddy, Daddy!"  
You drop to your knees, flinging your arms wide just in time. They launch themselves into you, their tiny arms wrapping tight around your neck. You squeeze them back just as tight, rocking side to side and pressing a kiss to each of their cheeks; first Sara, then Scott.  
  
You missed this, missed them, missed the limitless joy and energy and affection.  
  
With a grunt, you heft them up and back, one over each shoulder like sacks of potatoes. It's an old, familiar game; someday, they'll be too big for it, but for now they both squeal in delight. Their laughter fills the room as you start to spin.  
  
"Faster, daddy, faster!"

Ellen watches from the doorway, a beatific smile on her face.

  
You’re finally home again, and everything feels right.


	2. The Rift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wonder when your kids started to turn into strangers.
> 
> Spoiler-free; pre-Andromeda. Set approximately between 2170 and 2180.

“You’re home awfully late.” You glance at the clock and have to stop yourself from flinching. It's nearly midnight.

 

“Sorry.” You peel off your work clothes, give Ellen a quick kiss as you climb into bed. “ I got caught up at work. There's this project I've been working on, and I lost track of time.”

 

“I figured.” There's a fondness in her voice, but an exhaustion too. It's not the first time you've gotten that wrapped up in work.  “You forgot about the twins’ career day.” _That can’t be right. Wasn’t it tomorrow?_ “Don’t worry,” Ellen continues, squeezing your hand underneath the covers. “Their teacher called me when she couldn’t get a hold of you, and I made it in time.”

 

You feel a pang of guilt. “I’m sorry.”

 

“I didn’t mind. You should talk to the kids, though. They were... pretty upset.”

 

The guilt surges within you now, growing and filling you from toe to head.

 

“I’ll make it up to them.”

 

This is the first time you disappoint your kids, but it isn’t the last.

* * *

 

You don't say much during family dinners, but you listen. Usually.

* * *

 

Sometimes, Ellen will ask the kids what they want to be when the grow up.

 

Sara’s answer is constantly changing. “A scientist,” she says one week. “A teacher,” the next. “A doctor”, “A vid maker”, “a farmer”, “a librarian”... The list goes on and on.

 

Scotts answer is always the same, though. “A soldier, like dad.”

 

He's still young, and you're still his hero.

 

You're not always around to hear it, though.

* * *

 

They don't run to the door anymore when you come home from work, but you don't notice. They’re too big for the old games anyway.

* * *

 

“Hey Dad?” You tear your eyes away from your work to find Scott and Sara in the doorway, holding their homework. “Can you help us?” Your eyes flit back to the interface in front of you as Sara continues. “There's this problem we can't figure out...”

 

“Can it wait? I'm in the middle of something.” You’re so focused that it comes out harsher than you mean it to.

 

Sara flinches, but you miss it.

 

Scott mouths ‘I told you so’, but you miss that too.  

 

You seem to miss a lot lately.

* * *

They grow up in the blink of an eye. Every time you turn around, it seems like they’re getting taller and taller, older and older. They’re starting to have lives outside your apartment, becoming their own people.  

 

You recognize them less and less every day.

 

You wonder when your kids started to turn into strangers.

* * *

 

You get the call early one morning, while the four of you are visiting your family on Earth. Special assignment you can’t pass on, no time to wait. Ellen’s upset when you tell her.

 

_One week. Can’t we spend one week as a family without you be called off to God-knows-where?_

 

If the kids are surprised, they don’t show it.

 

As you pack you hear Scott tell Sara, “Not like he’s ever really here anyway.”

* * *

 

“And there’s no way to stop it. It’s terminal.” You watch the kids crumble as Ellen delivers the news. Sara’s in shock. Scott looks like he’s going to be sick. “I still have time left,” Ellen continues. Her hand is warm in yours.“That’s why we’re moving to Earth. With proper care…”

 

The thought hangs in the air, unfinished.

 

The kids are frozen, processing. You can see a million questions flashing across their faces. Slowly, it sinks in. You can tell they’re trying hard not to cry. Sara’s blinking, looking away. Scott’s lip quivers.

 

“We’re not giving up,” you tell them. You mean it. The gears in your mind have been turning ever since Ellen told you a few days ago. You’re _not_ going to lose your wife. The kids are _not_ going to lose their mother. Not on your watch.

 

Their eyes turn to you now, in a kind of desperate hope.

 

You can’t let them down. Not again.


	3. The Fix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You scramble to fix things with your kids as your wife's health declines. 
> 
> Mostly spoiler free; the end of this part contains an allusion to the end of Ryder Family Secrets. Read at your own risk.  
> Pre-Andromeda. Takes place between 2180 and 2183.

“The kids aren’t losing their mother. God knows they never had a father.” **  
**

Ellen grips your hand, her voice hard with fierce determination. 

_“Then give them one.”_

* * *

When you enter the kitchen, Sara is already there, lacing up her sneakers. “Hey dad.” She doesn’t look up.

“Going for a run?” She nods, switches feet. Clearly she expects it to end here. Most days it does, but not today. You take a breath, steeling yourself like you’re going into battle, not talking to your kid. Ellen’s words are still ringing in your ears. “Mind if I join you?”

“Really?” Sara blurts before she can catch herself, eyes wide. She regrets it immediately; she blanches and ducks her head, but guilt floods you anyway. When had the idea of you spending time with your children become so surprising? When was the last time you’d spent time with them anyway? Could you even remember?

“If that’s okay with you.”

You’re prepared to backtrack, try again later, but Sara’s smiling now. “Sure, Dad, that’d be great.” Her expression turns into something teasing, competitive. “As long you can keep up.”

It’s not perfect. It doesn’t fix everything, between you, but it’s a start.

* * *

Scott’s curled up in the armchair, reading a book when you emerge from your makeshift office. “Hey Scott,” you try. He doesn't look up or acknowledge your presence. You wish you could say this isn't typical. You try again. “What are you reading?”

Scott frowns, but still doesn’t look up. “School book.”

“Is it any good?”

“Dunno yet.”

His words are terse. Impatient. He's waiting for you to leave.

This is basically how your interactions for the last month have gone; you ask Scott a question or two, and he brushes you off with one word answers until you inevitably get frustrated and abandon the effort. You can't remember the last time you two had a real conversation. You're getting sick of him shrugging you off. “Scott-” you start, frustration bleeding into your words.

He snaps his book shut and stands, stares you down. “I don’t want to talk. You want to play dad, talk to Sara.”

He storms off before you can reply.

_You used to be his hero._

* * *

You make an effort to run with Sara every morning. You rarely say much much, but you can tell she appreciates that you’re trying.

Scott, on the other hand.... You still can't pin him down. Whenever you're in the same room, he clams up or leaves. The more you try, the worse it seems.

* * *

They tell you they’re planning to enlist, just a few weeks shy of their eighteenth birthday. It’s the first time you’ve seen Scott smile in months. Sara’s the quieter one, for once. Her hand keeps finding the back of her neck, like a nervous tic.

[Her implant scar], SAM supplies.

If Ellen is surprised by their decision, she doesn’t show it. You remember when you first found out they were biotics. Ellen guessed that this might happen. _At least they’ll have secure futures in the Alliance._

You offer to train them- teach them a trick or two that would never be covered in basic. To your surprise, they both agree right away. Scott even looks excited.

It’s an odd change, but a good one.

They take to the training fast. They’re your kids; quick and clever just like their parents. Sara takes well to the techier stuff, a born hacker. The mechanics come easy to her. Scott’s a quick study when it comes to gunplay. He has a good eye and- more surprising- a sniper’s patience.

They both excel in hand to hand. They’re competitive, and it helps. They’re constantly trying to one up the other.

You see more of them in the weeks leading up to basic than you have in years.

* * *

The Alliance is a good fit.

Scott ends up at Arcturus as a guard. It’s not as exciting as he’d hoped, but he bears it well. He talks about going through the relay, getting out into the galaxy, seeing new places. He’s hoping to be posted to a ship soon.

Sara’s assigned to an artifacts team as a peacekeeper. It suits her. She sounds so excited when she comes home. She loves her team, loves her job, loves the idea of discovering something new. She thinks she’s found her calling.

What strikes you most is how much they remind you of yourself.

* * *

“‘-you heading out soon?” You pause in the doorway, peer inside. Just over Ellen’s shoulder, you can see Sara on the com.

She trying to hide it, but she’s clearly upset. “No. I was pulled off the expedition, they left yesterday.” You can feel a pit forming in your stomach. You knew this would happen. “I think I’m going to be reassigned.”

“I’m so sorry, Sar,” Ellen sighs. “I haven’t been able to get a hold of Scott. Is this why?”

Sara hesitates, then nods. “He was going to get that transfer he wanted- finally get on a ship-and he got pulled at the last minute. He’s still on Arcturus at the moment, but... he thinks he’s going to be shoved somewhere more remote.”

Less of a security risk.. Their careers are over before they’ve even really begun.

You’re so busy cursing under your breath, that you miss Ellen’s response. Whatever she says makes Sara smile, though.

“It’s not that bad. We’ll win the brass back over eventually.” You can tell as she says it that she doesn’t believe it. “Just... don’t tell Dad, okay? Scottie and I can manage. You guys have enough on your plate.”

You’re used to protecting your kids. You’re not used to your kids trying to protect you.

* * *

Ellen gazes up at you from the hospital bed. Her eyes are glassy, far away. You’ve never seen her look so small. “Alec,” she starts. Her voice is soft, as small as she is. “You should call the kids.”

_It won’t be long now._

You make the call, fight to keep your voice from shaking as you tell them it’s time. They need to come home.

It feels like giving up.

It feels like letting them down.

* * *

You can hear Scott and Sara outside as the last of the well-wishers leave Ellen’s memorial.

“Should we check on dad?” Sara murmurs. A moment later, she’s knocking on the door. You don’t open it.

You can’t tell them, not yet.

If you’re wrong, it will break them all over again.


	4. The Initiative

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott and Sara join the Initiative. 
> 
> **SPOILERS for Ryder family secrets; do not read if you haven't completed that quest line. (Or do; I'm not the boss of you)  
> Set pre-Andromeda, approximately spanning the years 2183 to 2185.

When you enter the kitchen, you find Scott and Sara at the counter, hunched over the newspaper, coffee mugs at their elbows. **  
**

“Sara, you figured out 18 across yet?”

“Not yet.”

The crossword. You should have known. It’s an old routine; they used to work on it every Sunday with Ellen over breakfast when they were younger.  It’s so normal it almost kills you.

“Maybe we should just look it up.”

“That’d be cheating.”

You glance over their shoulders at the page as the two argue back and forth, oblivious to your presence.

“Thulium.” you say, causing the kids to jump. The pen Sara’s holding flies out of her hand and bounces to the floor with a clatter. It occurs to you that this is the first thing you’ve said to your children since the memorial two days ago. They stare at you with blank faces, unmoving. To cover the awkwardness, you step around them, head for the coffee maker.

“What?” Scott breaks the silence.

“18 across,” you say, keeping your voice carefully casual as you pour yourself a cup. “The element that protects turians from radiation? It’s Thulium.”

There’s a pause as Sara retrieves the pen, counts out the squares. You turn back to them just as Sara scribbles it in. “That fits!”

Scott smiles, glancing back at the paper. “Thought we’d never get that one. The biology ones were always mom’s thing.”

At the mention of Ellen the air in the kitchen grows tense. Tight. You can feel their eyes on you, wide, probing, looking for a reaction.

You cough, uncomfortable, take a sip of your coffee. 

You start to edge towards the door, only to be blocked by the paper, thrust into your path.  Sara holds the pen out to you, her eyes fierce, determined. It reminds you of Ellen. _‘Then be there for them.’_  You’ve been doing a shit job of it.

“There are a few others we’re stuck on.” The words come out more like a demand than a statement. “32 down?”

You glance at the paper, trudge closer, lean against the counter. It’s clear they’re not stuck, they just haven’t gotten that far yet. You don’t point it out.

“Drescher.” You tell them. Sara glances as the prompt, then nods, Writes it down. You make to leave again, but she stops you.

“42 across?” Her stare is so firm it forces you into the stool on the other side of Scott. He watches this exchange, face pulled into an expression of grim amusement.

In the end, you stay until they finish. You manage to keep an awkward, stilted conversation aloft between the three of you.

It’s weird, this new normal; but then again, everything is weird without Ellen.

* * *

The three of you struggle not to drift apart in the months following Ellen’s death. The kids come home less and less, looking more and more lost each time. They’re both still with the Alliance, though they’ve been shoved into crap postings, and there doesn’t seem to be a reprieve coming anytime soon.

You make an effort to call them every week; sometimes they answer, sometimes they don’t, but you can tell they appreciate you’re trying.

The calls never last long.

They ask you about home. You ask about their work.  

They don’t talk about their old postings.

You don’t talk about Ellen.

You still haven’t told them. You don’t want to get their hopes up.

* * *

You always planned to bring the kids into the initiative, but it happens sooner than you thought. It has to. The timeline has accelerated; you need to leave the galaxy. Soon.

They agree more readily than you would’ve thought. Things must be worse in the Alliance than they let on. You didn’t even have to give them the hard sell.

They have questions of course. They want to know the timeline, the golden worlds, the journey. You answer their questions one by one as realistically as you can; by the end they look…. excited.

 “Andromeda, huh?” Scott says, leaning toward the holo set up on your workbench. He’s grinning from ear to ear. You haven’t seen him smile like that in a long time.

“So what exactly would we be doing there?”

You consider Sara’s question with a tilt of the head. “You still need to apply and interview with the initiative, but ideally? You’d both be scouts on the pathfinder team. My team.”

Sara’s eyes widen and her smile grows to match her brothers. “We’d be the first to see everything…”

The excitement on their faces reminds you of yourself at their age….only, instead of jumping through the Charon relay, you’re jumping to another galaxy.

At least you’ll be together.

* * *

They excel in the training, despite being a few months, or even years, behind some of the others. Their time in the Alliance helped, but you think it’s more than that. They put their whole energy into it, clearly glad to be in motion again, doing something real. A real purpose, a real goal to strive for.

It reminds you a little bit of when they first enlisted. They’re all smiles and hope again. The three of you talk more during one week of training than you did during the month following Ellen’s death.

Andromeda’s a dream you can work toward together.

_‘Then be there for them.’_

You think you’re finally starting to make good on that promise.

* * *

When the day to leave finally arrives, you find yourself feeling more nervous than you have in decades; as nervous as the Charon relay, as Shanxi, hell, as when the twins were born. SAM doesn’t say anything, but you can tell he’s observing this new development carefully.

It makes sense, you think as you do your last checks for the billionth time before heading to the cryo bay. You’re jumping 2.5 million light years into a lot of unknowns.

The ship is mostly empty now; everyone’s in cryo except for you, Dunn, and a handful of doctors and support staff. The kids were put under hours ago with the rest of your team.

“How are they?” you ask SAM, pausing outside the medbay.

[They are well. Their pods are functioning properly.] This is the same answer SAM has given you the last ten times you’ve asked. Thankfully the AI has the grace not to mention it.

“And Ellen?” This is probably the millionth time you’ve asked in the last few years, but SAM does not mention this either.

[Ellen has been successfully hidden among the initiative cryo pods. Her disease remains in stasis, and her vitals are strong.] 

You nod, square your shoulders, and take a deep breath.

It’s finally time.


	5. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You arrive in Heleus, and everything goes wrong. 
> 
>  
> 
> Set during the prologue. Spoilers for the Ryder Family Secrets mission.

****You wake up from cryo feeling disoriented. It’s hard to believe it’s been over 600 years; it felt like a blink of an eye. Dr Carlyle eases you through the post-stasis battery, his tone light and casual as though you didn't just jump across galaxies. You push through each question, impatient, though Harry’s used to that from you.

 

You want to check on the kids, check on Ellen. SAM must catch on, because after a moment, his voice comes over your private channel.

 

[Ellen, Scott, and Sara remain in stasis. Their pods are functioning properly. There’s been no further progression of Ellen’s disease. Scott and Sara will be awake within hours.]

 

You exhale in relief, a silent thank you. Harry interprets it as impatience and sends you off with a teasing remark and a laugh.

 

You have messages waiting for you in your quarters in the Hyperion already. Their implications are... disastrous.

 

You can't help the way your hands tremble as you grip your chair, listening to the emergency alerts. You got out just in time.

 

_Thank God you shielded them from this._

* * *

 

Heleus is quickly turning into a clusterfuck. Not only have you awoken to find the Milky Way might be gone (not that you can actually _tell_ anyone), but now you’re stuck in some sort of dark energy cloud, and the Hyperion is damaged, endangering everyone still in cryo. Not exactly the glorious arrival the initiative planned. Worse, you and Dunn can’t seem to agree on a course of action. Tensions are high and the pressure is on. You _have_ to get these people home.

 

Behind you, Scott mutters, “Solid grounds starting to sound pretty good right about now.”

 

You turn, voice too harsh, “Pretty good isn’t good enough.”

 

You pause as Scott responds, a simple “Yes sir” that you don’t really hear. Sara’s not with him. You called _both_ of them to the bridge, where is-

 

[Sara’s revival procedure was interrupted. Dr. T’Perro has induced a coma to allow her to awaken naturally.]

 

You try to process this, but Dunn is already speaking again. You realize belatedly that you’re still staring at your son. He stares back, worry lurking in the circles beneath his eyes.

 

You turn back to Dunn, try to sound confident.

* * *

 

You stop by the medbay before heading to the shuttles.

 

“Sara will be fine,” Dr. T’Perro assures you after she gives you the run-down. Her voice is calm and soothing. Part of you wishes Harry was delivering the news; you’ve learned to gauge how severe a condition is by how serious he acts, but Lexi is always professional.

 

Sara will be fine, Sara will be fine, Sara will be fine.

 

It’s hard knowing there’s nothing you can really do.

* * *

 

When you get to the shuttles, Scott already looks tired and shaken. You’re reminded that, until they were eighteen, the twins were rarely apart. “I heard what happened. Your sister’s strong. She’ll make it.”

 

Scott tries to smile, but it doesn’t quite take. “We bet on whose boots would hit the ground first. This isn’t how I wanted to win.”

 

“Well, knowing Sara she’ll want to go double or nothing on who climbs the tallest mountain.” That gets a huff of laughter. “Don’t let it get you down,” you’re starting your transition back from father to pathfinder. “I need you sharp.”

 

“I understand.” Scott takes a deep breath, squares his shoulders. It reminds you too much of you.

 

You start to head back to the shuttle, hesitate, look back at Scott. “Your mom would’ve been proud. Of both you.”

 

The words taste odd in your mouth. It’s been so long since you’ve talked about Ellen, but... Heleus is a new start. For all of you.

* * *

 

Habitat 7 is a mess, though that’s on par for the course. Shuttle two is ripped from the sky, torn in two, the com's down.

 

You don’t know Scott’s status. SAM tells you his jump jet was functioning when SAM was disconnected, but that’s not a guarantee.

 

There’s nothing you can do but wait.

 

You’ll never forgive yourself if he’s dead.

* * *

 

When Scott’s face finally appears on your omnitool, the relief is crushing, but all you can say is “good to see you in one piece”.

 

You still have work to do. You’re not out of the woods yet.

* * *

 

“We need an emergency extraction, _now.”_ You’re careful not to let your panic seep into your voice as you limp towards Scott. He’s coughing, choking, suffocating. He’s dying right before your eyes.

 

“They're spinning up the shuttle. ETA is three, maybe four minutes.”

 

Scott stares up at you, eyes filled with fear. He looks so small. Suddenly he’s a baby again, rushed to the hospital with a too-high fever. A kid standing by your bed, quaking after a nightmare. A boy, just barely an adult, who’s just lost his mother and needs his father. _Three minutes is a death sentence._ “We don’t have that long.”

 

You know what you have to do.

 

You kneel in front of him, yank off his helmet, replace it with your own. He tries to speak, but he can’t. “Deep breaths,” you tell him. You can feel your lungs begin to burn already, but you’ve made the right choice.

 

You transfer pathfinder access, hope SAM can repair the damage already done, can save Scott’s life. You rush to encrypt your memories too- it’s too much too soon, but someday he’ll understand. You hope.

 

Your lungs feel like they’re on fire. You can barely speak anymore. You put your hand on his shoulder, squeezing, trying to steady. “There’s still hope for your mother.”

 

Still hope for your family.

 

You try to choke out more as Scott crumbles before you, tell him how much you love them, but there’s just no air left.

 

You’re out of time.  

  
At least they’ll all be together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've loved working on this project for the last few weeks! This is my first 'big' fic that I've written, so I was a little nervous, but it's been great. I might still go back and make some edits, but I'm done for now. Thank you to everyone who's helped me out with this, including Astermix and TheyBecameAnimagi on tumblr. :3 
> 
> If you're still reading, thank you for sticking with me! I hope you enjoyed~ If you have any comments or constructive criticism, I'd love to hear it! If you don't want to post it publicly, you can message me on tumblr (my username is still TooLateToFall). I really want to improve as a writer, so seriously, any comments are appreciated. 
> 
> Thank you!


End file.
